A Daring Rescue
by Archangel Chase
Summary: A Guardian mysteriously vanishes while the entire Gurhal system is under siege by fire Seed Firebreak. However, a few powerful Guardians in the HQ have put priority on the missing boy...why?
1. Chapter 1

"A Daring Rescue" (PSU) Part 1

The GUARDIANS transport ship screeched through the red morning sky. Its sleek white hull and the multi-colored signal lights that decorated either side of its wings showed a stark contrast to the burning sea below. The Firebreak missions we're still underway and with it, the image that the ship was flying over a malevolent hell.

Damien stood looking out from the window, down into the forests in flames. Slowly he was starting to lose hope, as everyone was for Parum. The Purification was going nowhere as more and more GUARDIANS came home injured, fatigued, and sometimes dead. The number of SEED in Raffon was proving to be too overwhelming for its protectors to handle.

His sight was interrupted when across the sky, a burning ball of red leaving behind a trail of yellow, pierced through the clouds and fell down into the planet.

"Another pod and another GUARDIAN life to be scorched to ashes…" he whispered.

His beast eyes widened and his fists clenched. Damien felt a feeling of betrayal to his fellow GUARDIANS by his absence during these missions; a feeling that was only rivaled by the uneasiness he received upon hearing that this yet to be explained mission was handed down straight from the higher ops of the GUARDIANS Colony.

"You ok Damien?" a female voice grabbed his ear.

Damien looked to his left and saw Nanami sitting next to him.

"You've been acting weird recently. I'm worried…."she said.

Damien looked at her. Nanami's green beast eyes stared at him and were almost pressing for an answer.

"Just mad that everyone's out there risking there lives to stop these damn SEED and we're sitting inside this ship, on our way to divine maiden knows where" he replied.

She lowered her a little as if to submit to the part of her that expected the exact same answer. Her eyes closed as she bit her lip in the same despair as Damien.

Past Nanami's light-skinned face, past the streaming short blond hair, Damien could still see the red from the other windows. He could not see the fires but they knew they were there; still burning and the GUARDIANS fighting with little shards of blue, trying to stop a wave of crimson.

Damien looked at her again and saw a single tear fall down from both eyes. Three days ago, a few of their friends came back from a Firebreak mission injured. One was her husband who received multiple burns all over his body.

Yoshiaki Kawajiri is still inside a medical tank in the GUARDIANS Colony…unconscious for the fourth day.

"Nana…I'm so-" the cockpit door in front of them slid open and the figure of a man emerged.

"GUARDIAN 3001278 Damien and GUARDIAN 3001643 Nanami, it's time for your briefing…" the man said.

The figure stepped out and the two could see a silver-haired Newman in white Classica clothing emerged. He was of average height and more muscled than a regular Newman. His hair was tied in the back and his eyes looked at them with brown stares of intention and experience.

Nanami wiped her tears and looked back with sudden change of face. The Newman looked at both as if to examine each, then walked forward, taking the seat in front facing Damien.

"As you might know, this mission was requested by a high ranking officer from HQ whose identity you will not need to know" he said.

Damien shrugged at the fact. They never need to know, they just run around like their errand boys he thought.

"We will be traveling to a recently discovered RELICS site to locate a missing GUARDIAN" the Newman said.

Damien and Nanami looked at each other then returned their glance to the stranger. The Newman pulled out three vision discs from his pocket and handed one to both GUARDIANS. He made a gesture with the disc instructing them to activate the objects.

"We do not know the amount of danger we might face in this mission. All available GUARDIANS were requested for this mission. Unfortunately because of the recent SEED infestation in the Gurhal system, only the two of you have been assigned. I am Oddo your fortetecher and commanding officer. Now please open the discs."

Damien looked at the disc and was reluctant to open it. Something in his mind did not add up and was readying an arsenal of questions for Oddo. Damien noticed the extreme lack of detail given to them in accordance to this mission. He was about to open his mouth when Nanami released a sudden gasp. She held the activated disc in her hand stared at the photon screen displaying the information of the missing GUARDIAN.

Damien quickly opened his and saw a familiar face.

MISSION TARGET: LOCATE MISSING GUARDIAN

GUARDIAN 3008923: CHASE

-end chapter-


	2. Chapter 2

PSU "A Daring Rescue" Part 2

Oddo looked at both Guardians as they examined the photon disc in surprise. He saw Nanami flipping through the holographic buttons emanating from the disc, going through the mission details given by the headquarters. He turned to the black-haired beast Damien and saw a blank stare of both astonishment and shock. His green eyes hovered over Chase's long-brown hair, then the boy's eyes. Damien looked up at Oddo and the newman knew the beast was questioning the reality of the picture.

Oddo turned away and took a breath. He then returned to face both Guardians.

"GUARDIAN 3008923 Chase was assigned to investigate a recently discovered RELICS site on Raffon Sector 7. Because of the fire SEED infestation on Parum, no other Guardians were available to accompany him and so he was given permission to use his GH410 codenamed: Mackenzie" Oddo explained.

"Unfortunately…"

Oddo pulled out another photon disc, much bigger than the first, one that had a red lining around its circumference. He lifted it up and pointed the face of it to Nanami and Damien. Both Guardians edged closer and saw a sliver of red writing on the disc's left.

GH 410 3008923: MACKENZIE

Nanami's green eyes flashed at Oddo.

"A team we sent to secure the area for our mission found Chase's partner machine in pieces near the entrance to the RELICS site. Only this damaged holo disc was salvaged. Oddo pressed a switch on the side of the machine and a shaft of light spread across the side of the room.

"This was Mackenzie's final recording."

The light stretched to form a rectangular screen and the colors in the center swirled against each other to form green grass, blue sky, and red flame. Raffon Meadow. The image crackled with sprites of disfigurement as Mackenzie's damaged recorder struggled to keep power. The ground was parched and burned with photon. From the right the blue metal railing of the entrance to a set of ruins could be seen, but no activity. For a moment the land stood still.

_No Mackenzie…you fucker!_

A voice screamed in the background. A figure emerged from the left of the screen. A brown-haired male in gray battle shorts and a yellow sleeveless armor jumped back. Damien saw the yellow outlining of four angel wings in the back of the garment and Oddo knew that the Guardian had recognized his friend.

Chase jumped back further to the right all the while clasping a purple sword, curved crescently at the tip and was substantially bigger than its wielder.

"Soda Crea…Chase's sword. That's him all right!" Nanami whispered to Damien.

The besieged Guardian strafed back once more and was immediately followed by tens of long red tentacles, individually snapping back and forth into the human's direction. A loud, deafening screech flashed across the field and made even the three spectators a world away, reaching for their ears in pain.

A swirl of blackness suddenly emerged in front of the screen covering the scene and Chase. The floating, black armored figure of a monster wielding a blue rod, formed. The monster let out deep roar and more similar figures emerged in the background opposite to the human. The first monster again roared but could not finish its call as a purple blade embedded itself on its head. The black figure twitched until its killer's weapon sliced through its head and cut its body in half.

Chase emerged once again, punching through the remains of his victim and ran toward Mackenzie. The screen crackled and the resolution grew worse. Chase knelt down and took a final look at his comrade. From the room, it was as if the boy stared directly into the eyes of his prominent rescuers. The loud screech screamed forth once again. The widowed Guardian looked back at the snapping tentacles coming in his direction. He let out a deep sigh and took up his sword once again. He ran toward the right of the screen, slicing through a tentacle that flashed too close to the blade on the way, and raced toward the entrance to the RELICS site.

The screen crackled and the light darkened. The Meadow disappeared.

The room silent for a while. Oddo looked back at his companions and both still stared at the empty space where the hologram stood. To be so close he thought.

The console behind them turned on and the face of the helmeted pilot stood.

"Sir! We're hovering right above Sector 7. We'll be touching down in 5 minutes. GUARDIAN 3002232 FLETCHER and his team have secured the area and are waiting for your arrival"

Oddo stood up and walked toward Damien and Nanami.

"This mission is officially underway. I will brief you more on the way to the site. Remember, your mission is to locate Chase. All orders will come from me. Do you understand?"

Both we're still silent and stared at the empty space. To be so close they thought.


	3. Chapter 3

PSU "A Daring Rescue" Part 3

The sun shone forth as the silver transport hovered slowly just inches from the grounds that covered the Raffon Meadow. Damien leaped off the edge of the open side door, his black heavy boots mashing the grass as the eight-foot beast hit the ground. The smaller Nanami and the white-armored Oddo, clasping a black rod with a curved blue tip, followed.

The three sprinted across the plains, away from the departing ship and toward the direction of a figure in the distance that had been watching their arrival. As the three drew closer, the image of a tall human holding a blue long-barreled rifle formed. The figure was dressed in a green garb covering the whole of his upper body, battle shorts of the same shade, and grayish boots. He had flowing black hair that was only interrupted by a green beret shading the top.

"GUARDIAN 3002232, Fletcher" Oddo pronounced. "Have you secured the area?"

Fletcher nodded. The green dressed human, weapon firmly in hand, was a spitting image of Parum Rangers that mastered the woodlands.

"The area is secure sir…but…there was really nothing _to _secure. I know Mackenzie's recording showed multiple hostiles, but when me and Molloch got here…" Fletcher motioned his head toward the plains behind him. "…there was only us and one _angry_ Gol Dova."

Nanami slowly walked toward the direction Fletcher motioned to. On the other side of the hill blocking the view of the four from the side of the Relics site was the corpse of a gigantic and fatty monster, dead on its side, measuring thirty times bigger than beasts like Damien. The female walked toward it slowly and as the sun's view quickly ceased to block the top of the creature, another beast in a black feathery vest and boots came to her sight.

Molloch sat calmly on top of its victim and showed nothing but a quick glance toward Nanami's direction.

The rest of the Guardians followed and started toward the door to the ruins.

"Sir even though we didn't encounter any more monsters, there's no doubt that Chase _was _here and there _was _a battle," Fletcher eyes flashed at Oddo.

Damien noticed something within the stare that made him uneasy. The ranger's eyes had the look of nervousness coupled with the dark stillness of the meadow that made the beast's heart tremble. Damien looked around and saw the scars of photon weaponry all over the ground. In the distance, next to the rising ruin door, the whole of a tree lay sprawled on the ground. _Chase's last attempt to keep the monsters from following him inside the run _he thought.

Yet he could not shake the feeling that something else was amiss. His green troubled eyes looked at Oddo. The way the techer carried himself, the way his demeanor lacked any form of panic and confusion, the way his feet walked unhindered down a straight path when the rest of them had their minds astray, led Damien to believe that this silver-garbed newman knew more than he would like to say.

"We have to make sure of that Ranger. You will stay here with Molloch and guard the area for extraction." Oddo stopped and drew closer to Fletcher. "Under no circumstances without my order will you come into the ruin. Is that understood Ranger?"

All four Guardians bit the corners of their lips as their eyes glared at the order. Fletcher was silent for a moment, his vision turn to the face of the three watching. Damien saw his fellow beast, the ranger's apparent partner in combat, give him a wry smile unseen by Oddo.

"Yes sir, you can count on us" Fletcher replied.

Oddo led Damien and Nanami through the dark RELICS corridor. The ceiling of the hallway was black except for the circles of blue light lining spots of the darkness. Pillars of blue metal graced the walls of smooth gray along with occasional photon torches that burned white and illuminated the ground. Oddo walked ahead, his black rod shining a bright white on its tip as it lit the way for the three.

Damien looked around and saw no signs of movement nor any signs of battle.

"Looks like nothing followed Chase inside" Nanami whispered.

Oddo did not look back and shook his head at the human.

"The metal that forms all RELICS structures are strong enough to withstand photon weaponry, so if Chase did swing his sword in a small corridor like this, the Soda Crea would leave nothing but scratches" Oddo pronounced.

The three traversed corridor after corridor and found nothing but the same dark blue stillness of the site. Damien looked around and saw that the rooms along with his hopes of rescuing his friend were darkening. He remembered his brothers outside, trying to stop an invasion of monsters. The firebreak missions were still underway and he reminded himself that there was also danger out there. He thought of his friends struggling to give planet Parum even the smallest of hope. The beast struggled however at the thought of not being out in the plains to help them. He feared the worst for his most trusted companion, yet at the same time, if he did not accompany Oddo in the mission, another friend would lose his life.

It was the trouble with Guardians who grew attached to their companions in battle, representing a single weakness in the whole of the group.

Just then, a scream of pain hurled itself through the corridors.

"No…Chase! Chase?!" Damien screamed back.

The three hurried down into the direction of the apparent source. More sets of similar-looking corridors passed by as the light of Oddo's rod and the photon torches on the walls illuminated the way.

"Shit!" Damien cursed as the Guardians came to a fork in the room that split the path in half.

"Damien and Nanami go right and I will take the left. You will locate Chase and contact me immediately." This time Oddo did not wait for a reply as he was the first to moved through his side, leaving Damien and Nanami in the growing darkness to follow theirs.

The two raced down the hallway, screaming the name of their besieged friend and hoping that a reply would come.

But there was none. Only the fearful sight of time halted as silence and darkness roamed free.

Molloch looked around bewildered. He followed Fletcher inside of course he thought. And now the black suited beast is regretting the wry smile he gave his friend. The smile that said 'just nod and we will do the rest.' Molloch knew that this time, he had stumbled on something that will not lead to a mere demerit.

He looked around one of the secret rooms that Fletcher found on the way in expecting to see the same blue structures that graced all of the Relics sites he had been to. Instead, the room looked much more like a Guardians personal room within the space colony. The area was filled with various computer consoles, some still had its final cells of power as their photon screens still crackled to life.

Molloch went forward examining the consoles. He knew nothing of machines except for the one type that powered his axe, now resting by the door he had come in through. He went further in and saw an unkempt, make shift bed. Next to the bed a smaller console that flashed brightly compared to its bigger brothers. Molloch drew his bearded face closer. _I may not understand foolish machines but I sure as hell can read_. The mini-console showed a Guardians profile. Molloch scrolled down and saw the portrait of a green-eye human with long-brown hair that reached his shoulders. Next to the picture was an inscription and a host of statements.

SUBJECT: GUARDIAN 3008923 CHASE

_-Subject's statistics and medical records separates from other patients._

_-Subject has been in numerous missions in Seed infested areas yet received no substantial internal damage despite receiving open blood exposure to—_

"Molloch…" a familiar voice sounded directly behind him.

The beast turned and quickly faced a blinding red light. There was pain, and he could feel immense heat burning through his armor. His vision darkened and as he took one last attempt to look at his attacker, all there was in his eyes was the image of being in countless battles with the green-garbed Fletcher, his one true friend that he would have to now leave behind. He collapsed and as darkness surrounded him.

"Foolish disobedient animal" he heard Oddo whisper.

Oddo stared at the smoking corpse of Molloch as he slowly lowered his rod. He walked forward and took a look at the console he was reading. Oddo then stepped back, raised his rod once more and shot a ball of fire, destroying the console. He started back at the door, burning down all of the consoles with a mighty stream of damfoie as he was instructed to do. He came to within a few inches of the door and stopped. He reached within the pockets of his silver leather armor and pulled out a red rectangular photon pad and rested it on the side of the door.

Oddo pressed the side of the pad and activated the photon bomb. The timer flashed '00:45.'

The newman pressed his finger on the earpiece he wore and the static of the radio could be heard.

"Fletcher I found Chase, rendezvous at the signal I'm about to activate."

Oddo pressed another button on the specialized pad and a flashing green light popped up on top of the red bomb. _Let see if you are as much of a fool as your friend_.

The radio crackled again with the sound of a different human.

"Oddo, you better come take a look at this" Nanami's voice screeched through the earpiece.

The newman took one last look at the room scorching in flames. He started for the door.

"I'm on my way."

-end chapter-


	4. Chapter 4

PSU "A Daring Rescue" Part 4

Damien knelt down, examining the remnants of Chase's presence. The room was small and on the side next to its only entrance were pieces of unwrapped portable food rations, a fully activated photon dagger and a broken radio earpiece, all scattered disorderly in a corner. Signs of rest interrupted.

The beast did not know whether to cheer at the signs of life or to lament his instincts that took into account the potential that their friend was attacked. Damien still has not forgotten the scream that echoed throughout the corridors; a voice of pain and one that he was sure belonged to Chase.

"Um…Damien…" Nanami's voice nervously reached him.

Damien looked over to his right and in the distance he could see Nanami and Oddo standing in front of a massive hole on the side of the wall. The beast walked toward the two as Oddo moved his lighting rod around its edges to examine.

"The debris is on our side of the wall…something broke through," Oddo whispered.

Damien followed the newman's rod as it lit the circumference of the gap revealing a yellow liquid dripping from it. The three moved their heads closer to examine the discovery.

"It looks like acid…like something weakening the wall by melting it, then breaking through…" Nanami said.

_Something. _The word did not rest well beneath Damien's skin. The beast reached into the pocket of his black, feathered vest and pulled out a small black shaft. He pushed a button on the side and the shaft extended to five times its size with the blue light of photon energy illuminating on its edges. Damien was once again reminded that _something _did not fit the air.

He stepped closer and tried to maneuver his head into the gap without coming into contact with the acid. He peaked inside and noticed a cold breeze coming from below. The darkness was overwhelming however and no visible signs could be seen.

"Looks like there's another room down there! I'll go find a way arou—." The beast's words were interrupted by a thunderous sound in the distance, followed by a strong tremor that almost shook the three off their feet. The sound came from outside the room, in the direction of their arrival.

Damien and Nanami looked at each other in shock. Both were now sure that there was an unseen force at work. The two caught Oddo looking back for a second, and then returned his gaze uncaringly toward the hole.

"What the hell?! That sounded like an explosion!" Nanami yelled out.

Both reached for their earpieces and activated the communicators resting in their left ears.

"Fletcher?! Fletcher! Do you read me?" Damien screamed, as nothing but the static of an empty air responded.

He continued to scream, switching channels on the radio to try and catch a word from anyone. Just then, another, more jarring sound filled the air of the room, followed by a gripping quake that seemed to almost push down the blue metal walls. This time however, the Guardians were swept to the ground. The three pinpointed the source to the other side of the gap as they struggled to regain their footing.

"_That _one was no explosion…" Nanami said, as she, eyes widen, stared nervously in the darkness of the hole. It did not take long for the human female to draw her double saber as Damien did.

Another sound filled the room. One thunderous sound that mixed a shocking boom with an angry, animalistic roar. More tremors followed, then a recognizable, deafening shriek invaded the air. The three fell back once again and raced to cover their ears. Almost instantly, the Guardians recognized the same sound as the one that permeated the final minutes of Mackenzie's recording.

The sonic barrage stopped suddenly however, as Damien immediately stood up and flashed his blue weapon, ready for an attack.

"What the hell…" the beast whispered, almost hearing himself as the abrupt, deathly howl of silence spread through the air.

Nanami pulled herself to her feet and readied her own weapon. Oddo used his rod to hold himself up, his ears still reeling from the shriek.

The two fighters ran toward the gap on the wall and held their double sabers high, poised for an attack. The silence went on. Their eyes rested in the darkness, sensing an invisible foe within. There were a few moments of time halted then the attack finally came. Six thick and purple whip-like tentacles lashed themselves from within the hall and snapped at the two. Damien and Nanami dodged left and right but were soon caught in the monster's undying grip.

"Damien!" Nanami screamed as the tentacle that held both of her feet, dragged her down into the dark abyss.

The beast chased after the human but soon felt the crushing squeeze of a limb wrapped around his neck. His weapon hand motioned for a swing but another tentacle snapped and snatched his arm before any more movement could occur. Damien felt the stiffening of his neck. He was suffocating as the monster was slowly inching him into the gap where Nanami fell.

In the corner of his eye, he could see Oddo running toward him, pointing his red shining rod at his body's captor. The newman came to within a few feet of his besieged companion when another tentacle grabbed his waist and pulled backward. Damien fell back finally in the same direction, his vision enveloped in darkness. He could still feel the pain being inflicted upon his body. The monster waved him freely in the air as the beast was taken deep inside the gap.

"Foei!" a voiced screamed.

Damien felt the searing heat of a flaming wave, only inches from his face. The fire pierced through the tentacles holding him as a loud howl of pain shot to his ears. The monster was forced to let go. The beast was falling now, to a height or place that he could not see.

Nanami felt the stabbing pain running through her body. The monster had all but her head completely wrapped with its thick, scaly tentacles. The light of a new room shined forth in her eyes. Her vision slowly followed the tentacle to its source and as soon as the path came to its end, her spine went cold and her countenance froze. The abomination that held them was in full glory, illuminated by the myriad of torches lining the walls of a new blue room. The SEED-Vitace, shaped like a flower of doom, had a long stem like body that stretched to more than sixty feet, its roots were strong whipping lashers and its head was an immense dome lined by a mane of spikes.

Nanami's sight locked toward its skull. Within the blue, transparent head, she could make out the outline of a person sprawled inside, with its back toward her.

Within the shade of indigo, the human could see the small glow of Chase's yellow-winged armor.

-end chapter-


	5. Chapter 5

PSU "A Daring Rescue" Part 5

Nanami struggled to keep her breath as the Seed-Vitace; the infectious flower of doom was slowly crushing her body with its tentacles. Her face cringed and her eyes squinted at the immense pressure surrounding her chest. In the distance, the monster's blue-glowing head stared eagerly at the beleaguered female. Nanami could still make out the shy glow of the yellow winged armor as Chase lie sprawled and unmoving inside the creature's skull.

The pain grew more with each passing second, as her hope of escaping grew darker. She thought of Yoshiaki, her husband trapped in a deep sleep within the confines of the Guardians medical bay. Nanami's image of being the first to welcome him back after he recovers soon grew blurry, along with the room around her.

"Foei!" a voice screamed.

Nanami felt the searing heat of fire just inches from her face. A wave of flame torched through the tentacles forcing the monster to let go and the human crashing to the ground.

All thoughts of death were shaken off her head as Nanami quickly pulled out her double saber once more poised for some revenge. She could see Oddo being flailed in the air by a tentacle but managed to get his rod hand free to cast a spell. He did so again as the newman sent another ball of fire toward the limb holding him hostage, cutting through the Seed's whip-like root. Oddo fell and landed safely on his two feet with his rod keeping his body up.

More roots came up from the ground and lashed at both escapees. Nanami dodged one that snapped just inches from her face. She made sure that it would not do so again as before the tentacle could position itself for another attack, the human took a step forward and quickly sliced the limb with a side of her weapon. More roots flashed as the Guardian dodged continuously. Nanami cut down two more in succession as the two tried to grab her feet once more.

She jumped and strafed until the angry roar of a beast caught her attention. She looked up and saw a red-glowing figure fall from above and land on the Seed-Vitace's head. The red aura was that of Damien, with the red-flowing mane and muscled body of his beast form, now punching and clawing on the monster's head.

Damien's body now stretched to ten times his normal size as he once again thanked the holy light for making him a beast. His muscled hands repeatedly punched down into the skull of the Seed. The monster let out a shrieking cry of pain, however this time Damien quickly shrugged off the effects and kept pummeling its skull. The Seed jerked its head wildly in a desperate attempt to throw off its new enemy but Damien held on to its spikes with one hand and kept punching with the other.

On the side of the beast's vision, he could see Nanami running toward him, her double saber cutting down the tentacles hindering her path. She came up to only a few feet next to the Seed's body and just right under Damien.

"Be careful! Chase is inside its head!" the human shouted.

Damien stopped for a moment and held on without attacking, unsure of his next move. Just then a flash of crimson light shined on the opposite side of Nanami. He saw Oddo release a barrage of fireballs at the creature. All connected as heavy burns permeated the side of the Seed. Oddo released another that struck the side of the monster's head.

"What are you doing?! You'll hit Chase!" Damien screamed.

The Guardian's plea did little as Oddo released more fire that struck the skull of the Seed sending it crashing down along with Damien. The monster let out a final shriek then completely collapsed.

Damien felt the hard of the ground striking his back as the beast from released itself and his black, feathery garment returned.

Nanami ran to face Oddo. The newman calmly walked toward the corpse of the Ssed-Vitace. The human grabbed the newman's arm and forced him to face her angry green eyes.

"What did you think you we're doing?! We're here to rescue our friend and by the holy light, if there is but one burn on him…"

Nanami grabbed Oddo's white shirt and pulled him in with her face. Her face once again cringed but this time, it was not from pain.

"You better hope he's ok…" Nanami whispered angrily.

Oddo looked into her eyes and let out a wry smile. He released a small laugh of amusement.

"At ease Guardian, just _cool _off for a bit."

As Oddo said the words, Nanami felt the touch of his rod on her leg. There was the chilling cold that pinched her thigh and within seconds, the newman released a fully powered ice spell that froze the female in her tracks.

The techer released himself from Nanami's now icy grip and continued to walk toward the head of the monster now sprawled on the ground.

Damien's head rocked from the pain of the fall and his vision grew fuzzy. He tried to pull himself up but his limbs jerked from the pain. He looked and saw the blue glow of the monster's head on the ground. _Chase_.

The beast used whatever strength he could muster and crawled toward the Seed's corpse. He arrived to within a few inches of the head when he felt a presence next to him. He looked up and saw Oddo in his white classica armor standing next to him. Damien tried to pull himself up but his back met the blunt of Oddo's rod. A flash of pain permeated the beast's back.

"Sit" he heard Oddo whisper.

The newman turned his attention toward the skull of the Seed where he could still see Chase partly through the indigo. Damien saw Oddo raise his rod, poising for a spell. His eyes widened and cursed himself for not having any strength left to even get back to his feet. He tried focusing his energy into awakening his beast form again. He was met not with power, but with more pain stretching across his body. _No! _

He looked up at Oddo once more and saw that a red glow shined on the tip of his rod now pointed toward the pod where Chase now lied.

"What…what are you doing? The mission is to rescue him!" Damien said.

The newman turned his stare toward the Guardian, rod still poised toward the corpse.

"GUARDIAN 3001278 Damien, you have located the target and now you're mission is officially over. It is time for mine to begin" Oddo replied.

Oddo nodded his head toward the direction of the Seed.

"Eliminate _all _Seed infection" the newman proclaimed.

Damien cursed himself once more for going to yet another blind mission. His distrust for the higher operators of the Guardians grew along with the burning rage slowly rising in his heart. _I will not lose another friend._

The beast slowly pulled himself up but once again me with resistance as Oddo's boot crashed down on to his back.

"I said _sit_."

Oddo gave him a quick glance then returned his stare toward the Seed corpse. He poised his rod directly in front of the head and its red flame, slowly powering itself up on the tip, grew stronger.

"Chase…it's been way too long. Now you must pay for your sins" Oddo whispered.

"No!" Damien screamed.

Just then the loud sound of gunfire filled the room. Oddo dropped his rod and saw blood dripping from his chest. The newman fell to his knees, still staring shocked at the circumstance he was now in.

Damien looked back and saw Fletcher clasping his rifle, with its barrel still smoking from the shot. A purple-bladed axe was strapped to his back and Damien saw the tiny glimmer of wetness under his eyes where tears had recently been. The beast had then realized what had become of the Ranger's friend.

Oddo looked back at Damien and their eyes slowly met. Damien could see the immense shock in his eyes but with it was the look that tried to instill purpose onto him.

"Chase…must…die" Oddo's final words came out then the newman dropped dead on the ground.

The beast felt a soft hand on his waist. He looked up and saw Nanami helping him to his feet. They both stood with Damien's arm around Nanami's shoulder for support. He turned his attention to Fletcher who stood motionless, tears slowly dripping down his eyes.

"Damien…" Nanami nervously said as she pointed him to the direction of the Seed head.

Damien and Fletcher joined their vision toward the same direction. All three Guardians stared at the monster's transparent head. Only this time, they could no longer see Chase inside.

A recognizable shriek filled the room as the three covered their ears in pain. Fletcher grasped his rifle steadily once more and aimed at the corpse but it remained still.

"I don't think that was the Seed…" Damien nervously said.

All three were taken a back by the sudden rupture of a purple-photoned sword from inside the body of the Seed. The sword was long and curved on its tip. The Soda Crea. The weapon pierced vertically from the monster's body then moved quickly down, slicing a large slit on the side of the corpse. Another blade popped up, this one had a fleshy undertone and looked more like a sharpened bone. The new edge sliced diagonally from the first making a large 'X.'

Another shriek permeated the room. A hand punched through the now open wound on the Seed. The arm grabbed hold of the side and began pulling its owner out of the slimy insides of the Seed. Damien could soon make out the figure that emerged but his sight did not prepare him for what came next.

Chase, the brown-haired human in the yellow sleeveless armor emerged. The boy looked up and revealed a face that was half mutated by a strange dark blue skin. His eye was like that of a beast, yellow and angry. On the same side, his arm was also covered with an indigo covering and was replaced by a long bony blade.

The three froze, unsure of what they were seeing.

Chase let out a shriek, similar to that of the Seed from which he emerged.

Oddo's last words echoed through Damien's mind. _Eliminate all Seed infection. Chase must die._

-end chapter-


	6. Chapter 6

PSU "A Daring Rescue" Part 6

The three Guardians stood motionless at the sight of their missing comrade. Chase's now dual-colored eyes stared back. His head jerked and the mutated blade arm twitched as he moved his eyes toward each Guardian. One at a time, examining them. Damien had an unnerving countenance and the feeling that Chase was no longer himself gripped on his heart. _We're too late._

"I think we should go…" Fletcher whispered, slowly walking back, though his eyes never left Chase. He never held his rifle harder and closer to him.

"I think you're right…" Nanami answered, drawing her blue double saber once again.

Damien was torn however. They carried a great risk in rescuing their friend, even lost Molloch. He remembered other missions in the past when Chase did not abandon them, now he was eager to return the favor. Yet at the same time, the beast wondered if the being standing before them was even the same person. Damien looked at Chase, his blue-skinned arm with its bony sword tip was raised to waist level and his right arm still held his purple photon weapon firmly. The Seed-human hybrid was ready for an attack at any second.

"We can't deal with this right now…we _will _come back and get him but we need to regroup" Nanami whispered onto Damien's ear. He knew that the human watched his face and read his thoughts completely. Damien nodded back.

The three took steps back slowly and without sudden strides as if not to tempt a looming predator from its prey. Chase held his ground. His eyes still moved from Fletcher to Nanami then back again, examining and debating. Both swords remained positioned for a strike.

The Guardians found themselves already a few feet from Chase when Fletcher noticed a cloud of black mist swirling just behind the Seed-human. The dark mass soon grew and a figure slowly formed. A floating monster of metal, with a small blue armored chest and a flowing bottom like a makeshift robe, appeared. The new arrival held a long black rod with a slight circular bump at its tip. Its head was small but still covered and only its curving horns and glowing red eyes became discernible. It was a Seed mage, a Gaozoran.

Damien saw the Gaozoran point its rod tip toward the unsuspecting Chase. The beast did not know whether to continue their escape or warn the boy. The thought was halted however, as both Nanami and Damien's backward retreat was blocked by the sudden touch of a presence behind them. Both Guardians slowly turned to face the obstruction and was met with the glowing red stare of another Gaozoran.

Fletcher looked at the two then felt his own path hindered. Two Seed mages blocked him as more forming black mists filled the room.

A sudden roar behind him startled Damien once more and as his eyes slowly turned back he caught sight of Chase just inches from him, swords held forward for a stab. The beast stood motionless as the half green, half yellow-eyed Chase charged in his direction.

"Damien!" Nanami shoved him out of the way with Chase's blades barely missing the two by a whisker. Instead, the Gaozoran that hinder their retreat caught the ensuing charge. The armored monster jerked and screamed as the purple Soda Crea and the bone saber impaled its chest.

Damien took a quick glance at where Chase last stood and saw the body of the first mage sprawled on the ground. The corpse was headless. Both Guardians recognized the opportunity to escape as the rest of the mages closed in on Chase who still held his victim by the chest.

"Let's go! We have to get out of here!" Fletcher screamed as he ran toward Nanami and Damien, firing his rifle on the way at the mob of monsters. Fletcher helped Damien get off his feet, then took Nanami by the hand and led them on toward a door on the far side of the room. The three ran unhindered except for one Gaozoran that formed from its mist only to immediately stare down the barrel of the Ranger's rifle. The rest flew in the opposite direction.

They reached the small blue door at the end of the room where inside rested a long photon ladder where Fletcher entered through. The ranger motioned for Nanami to climb first as the roars and shrieks from the previous room grew louder in their ears. Damien and Fletcher took one look back just in time to see the glow of Chase's sword amidst a see of blue armor flail in quick successions. After which, two unlucky mages were blasted off in pieces by the strike. The two watched as Chase swung another sweep that cut through an arc of attackers and made a clear line of vision between them.

The Seed-human locked his vision on the retreating Guardians.

"What are you doing?! Let's go!" Nanami screamed from near the top of the ladder.

The two still stared motionless at the mutated boy now exhibiting uncanny strength. Chase took a step forward, ignoring the new batch of Gaozorans forming behind him, and inhaled. He held his breath for a moment and now Damien took a step forward, curious about the action. A second later, Chase exhaled and blew a wave of blue and red mist toward them.

"Close the door!" Fletcher yelled at Damien, shaking him from his trance. The two took opposite ends of the vertically rifted door and closed their escape before any of the mist permeated the room. The ranger and the beast leaned on the now closed doorway and tried to catch their breath. Just then, both heard a fizzling sound coming from the other side followed a sudden of burst of heat spreading through the material of the door. Fletcher grabbed Damien's arm and motioned for him to follow Nanami up the ladder. The beast climbed as Fletcher watched the once blue gate now scorching red.

"What the hell? Dammegid?!" the ranger recognized the spell as one that was rarely used by Fortetechers. The blue and red mist that fumed out of a rod became an extremely powerful acid. _Only this one came out of his mouth. _

Fletcher postponed his analysis and followed the others. Damien reached the top where Nanami awaited. He went back toward the ladder and lowered his hand to help the ranger who was last on the climb. The beast grabbed Fletcher's hand but before he could pull him up, he caught sight of a Gaozoran body slamming through the doorway before dying near the base of the ladder. He could see the dark shadow of an approaching figure looming over the broken gateway. Fletcher hurried and the three ran as soon as the ranger got up the ladder.

The survivors ran back through the multiple blue metal hallways, guided by the photon torches they had lit on the way in. Their radios crackled and a voice flashed through the earpieces.

"Guardians! Fire Seed are falling over the place out here! EVAC now!" the pilot of the transport ordered. A loud shriek filled the hallways and this time, all of them knew well were it came from.

Past a maze of hallways, the Guardians made it to the entrance with Nanami at the head and Fletcher, out of breath from carrying Molloch's axe, held the rear. Damien reached the outside after Nanami and saw nothing but a world in flame. The trees burned in crimson as he looked up at the sky and saw hundreds of streaming waves of fire falling from the heavens.

The transport hovered a few feet from the entrance, its side door already open for its would-be passengers. Nanami sprinted across the Raffon Meadow while more and more Fire seed crashed into the ground surrounding the ship. She reached the transport and held out her hand to help the two still running across. The soft hum of the engines did not mask the loud screeches of the hundreds of Seed zooming and buzzing across the air around them.

Nanami closed the hatch after the remaining Guardians were safely on the ship. The pilot ascended the ship as Damien and Fletcher watched the scorching of Sector 7 from the window. The ship turned its hull toward the Relics site.

"What are you doing?! We have to get out of here!" Fletcher screamed at the pilot.

"I'm sorry sir but I have to carry out HQ's orders first" the pilot replied.

None of the passengers had the time to ask when Damien noticed the missiles under the ship's wing tilting into position. The beast's eyes widened and remembered once again Oddo's last words. _Eliminate all Seed infection._ Before he could yell out to the pilot, the missiles launched, leaving a stream of gray smoke at their wake.

The three watched in horror as tens of heavily packed missiles set the Relics site ablaze. From a distance, they could see parts of the structure collapsing including the wall that towered over its main doorway, now covering the entrance completely.

The transport hovered for a moment and turned homeward toward Holtes City.

Damien was speechless and he could only watch as the flames engulfed the entire meadow. But no fire was stronger than the one now burning his soul. Any hope of returning and rescuing Chase was now nothing but ashes in the wind. He could see Fletcher on the seat across from him, examining the purple axe that was now only a remembrance of life stolen. Nanami leaned back to her seat and tears poured down her soft white cheeks.

It was a lonely road home and Damien knew that the goodbyes he would have to come to grips with on losing a friend would be even longer.

The sleek white hull of the ship tore through the red twilight sky like an angel flying above a malevolent hell. Only this time, the light was not so bright and the flame grew higher, like the hands of the dead reaching upwards toward the angels themselves.

-end chapter- -end story-


End file.
